Battle Tested. Laura Scott

      

      Keeping guard—because a killer lurks

      A Military K-9 Unit novel

      When Captain Isaac Goddard saves Vanessa Gomez from a vicious attack, he discovers the feisty military nurse is the Red Rose Killer’s next target. With help from Vanessa’s guard Doberman, the former pilot makes it his mission to protect Vanessa and her young brother. But when the danger closes in, can he overcome the post-traumatic stress that haunts him and stop a ruthless killer?

      LAURA SCOTT is a nurse by day and an author by night. She has always loved romance and read faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have published over twenty books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.

       Also By Laura Scott

      Military K-9 Unit

      Battle Tested

      Callahan Confidential

      Shielding His Christmas Witness

      The Only Witness

      Christmas Amnesia

      Shattered Lullaby

      Primary Suspect

      Classified K-9 Unit

      Sheriff

      Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

      Battle Tested

      Laura Scott

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ISBN: 978-1-474-08624-0

      BATTLE TESTED

      © 2018 Harlequin Books S.A.

      Published in Great Britain 2018

       by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

      All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

      By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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      Version: 2020-03-02

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      Isaac stepped forward to meet the dog who’d saved his life. The loud crack of a gunshot rang out.

      The airfield erupted into panicked chaos. The airman holding Beacon’s leash yanked the dog hard, diving for shelter as people began running and screaming, dropping to the ground and desperately seeking cover.

      Vanessa pulled Isaac down beside her while both dogs, Eagle and Tango, stood protectively over them. “Are you all right?” she asked breathlessly.

      “I think so.” He was numb from shock but checked himself for signs of injury. No blood? Good sign. Thankfully, he didn’t see any injuries on Vanessa, either. The dogs were good, too. “I have to get to Beacon.”

      He tried to pull away from Vanessa, but she hung on with steely determination. “No, you might put the dog in danger.”

      * * *

      MILITARY K-9 UNIT:

      These soldiers track down a serial killer with the help of their brave canine partners

      Mission to Protect—Terri Reed, April 2018

      Bound by Duty—Valerie Hansen, May 2018

      Top Secret Target—Dana Mentink, June 2018

      Standing Fast—Maggie K. Black, July 2018

      Rescue Operation—Lenora Worth, August 2018

      Explosive Force—Lynette Eason, September 2018

      Battle Tested—Laura Scott, October 2018

      Valiant Defender—Shirlee McCoy, November 2018

      Military K-9 Unit Christmas—Valerie Hansen and Laura Scott, December 2018

      Dear Reader,

      I’m truly blessed to have been asked to participate in this latest Military K-9 series with such amazing authors. This was an amazing group effort. We laughed and we cried and I hope you agree that this is our best series yet.

      I deeply respect the brave men and women who serve our country, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our freedom. Words cannot express my sympathy for those loved ones who have been left behind.

      Researching this book was hard work yet also extremely informative and rewarding. While I have done my best to stay true to military protocol, please know that any transgressions are my own and were done only for the sake of the story.

      I hope you enjoy Isaac and Vanessa’s journey as they battle through danger and struggle with their faith in order to find everlasting love.

      I love hearing from my readers, so if you have a